Our team and mission

This position is based at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) – Noordwijk, Netherlands

The Commercialisation and Innovation Team in the Directorate of Human & Robotic Exploration (HRE) leads the definition and coordinates the implementation of industry-driven innovation initiatives delivered within the framework of the Agency’s European Exploration Envelope Programme (E3P). Core responsibilities include the promotion of industry-driven utilisation of Space Exploration infrastructure and services, the engagement of non-space industry in the development of future capabilities for deep space exploration as well as the development of capabilities for the use of Space Resources in support of sustained lunar and Martian surface exploration. The team supports the development of the Moonlight Programme, managed within the ESA Directorate of Connectivity and Secure Communications (CSC),  providing lunar communication and navigation services and is managing the Business in Space Growth (BSGN). The BSGN has been established with the aim to grow private sector funded activities related to Space Exploration and is supported by four Industry Accelerators established in the fields of Sustainable Food, Advanced Materials and in-Space Manufacturing and Health and Space Resources.

Candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Lunar Communication & Navigation User Missions

The European Space Agency is developing, through the Moonlight commercial initiatives, a lunar communication and navigation infrastructure through two missions: Lunar Pathfinder, establishing an initial service with a short-term availability, and LCNS (Lunar Communication and Navigation System), bringing a higher performance and more comprehensive service on a longer term. 

Multiple missions will make use of those services, ranging from Rovers to Landers, Ascenders, Bases, Orbiters either in Low Lunar Orbit or at higher altitude (NRHO/Lagrange points). The communication and navigation services are built according to a new set of standards that aim at fitting Lunar and Mars incoming networks through LunaNet, with active participation of ESA, NASA and JAXA and many more stakeholders. 

As an intern to HRE-FC you will be:

• Supporting the definition, implementation, and promotion of commercial opportunities in space exploration in an effort to grow the emerging Lunar Economy in the specific field of Lunar communication and navigation with a realistic assessment of actual end-to-end capabilities of the systems;
• In the framework of the Moonlight Program, supporting the development of potential use cases for the utilization of Lunar Pathfinder (in the short/medium-term) and Lunar Communication and Navigation Services (LCNS) (in the medium/long-term). This will involve supporting third parties’ entities interested in developing commercial solutions that will make use of the Lunar Pathfinder and/or LCNS by helping them mature the underlying business cases and direct them towards the most suitable funding opportunities available at ESA.

This internship is primarily about telecommunication and system engineering to support the elaboration and consolidation of the definition of use-cases and facilitate the on-boarding of future users. This will include more particularly:

• Understanding and elaborating the Concepts of Operations of Users to driving specific requirements to the service to be delivered (mission phases, orbits, latencies, availabilities, criticality, volumes, data types);
• Understanding and elaborating the engineering properties of the Lunar Missions including System to Mission Analysis, Operations, Communication and Navigation aspects;
• Proofreading and support to the elaboration of technical documentations.

The activity will be held in direct partnership with the Tutor and as part of the commercialisation & innovation team. The User Missions are involving multiple directorates within ESA, NASA and JAXA and other partner agencies (MBRSC, KORI, CSA, ISRO) or industries. Good communication skills will be essential for the success of this internship.

Support links:

• https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2021/09/Lunar_Pathfinder);
• https://www.esa.int/Applications/Telecommunications_Integrated_Applications/Lunar_satellites;
• https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/;
• LunaNet: Empowering Artemis with Communications and Navigation Interoperability – NASA.

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking

For more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook

Education

You must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of a university course at Master’s level and you need to remain enrolled at your University for the entire duration of the internship.

Additional requirements

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.

Knowledge and background in Satellite System Design, Mission Analysis and general competencies in Communications & Navigation is an asset.